1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to seats and, more particularly, to an improved jump seat and to a safety belt array for the seat.
2. Prior Art
Jump seats have been connected to airplane galley walls and other plane interior partitions to provide seating room for flight attendants and the like during a plane's take-off and landing and during bumpy weather conditions. Such jump seats, however, usually are flimsy devices or are relatively bulky and require considerable attendant-assisted movement of the seat portion into and out of the operative position. Moreover, seat belt arrays for such jump seats are also bulky and clumsy and tend to interfere with proper storage of the seats, because the belt take-up reels, if any, wind multiple belts over one another, so that the wound belts bulge out of the seat. Space on crowded commercial airlines is at a premium, and the bulk, ease and efficiency with which jump seats can be stored and utilized determines their value.
There remains a need for a slim, flat jump seat which has improved seat stability in use, and which can be easily stored flat and as easily moved into operative position. Preferably, the seat should have an improved safety belt array which can fit flight attendants of all sizes and shapes and automatically reels up with minimum bulk so as not to interfere with flat storage of the jump seat. Such an array should also be adaptable to other seats, whether or not they are stowable.